Building a Fairer Cambridge Together Labour s Manifesto for the 2015 Cambridge City Council Elections cambridgelabour.org.uk Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 1 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 2 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Contents Building a Fairer Cambridge Together Labour s Manifesto for the 2015 Cambridge City Council Elections Introduction Councillor Lewis Herbert, Leader of Cambridge City Council 1. Delivering sustainable prosperity for Cambridge and sharing it fairly 2. Tackling the city s housing crisis 3. Making Cambridge safer and more equal 4. Investing in transport improvements 5. Improving the quality of life in our city 6. Making Cambridge cleaner and greener 7. Protecting essential services and transforming delivery by the council 4 5 7 9 10 12 13 14 Please also see our two related documents: Your 2015 Council Report This detailed 50 ways your Labour councillors have improved Cambridge in the last year and it was delivered to homes across Cambridge. www.cambridgelabour.org.uk/2015residentsreport Our earlier 2014 Manifesto In partnership with others, we have already delivered on over 90% of these commitments. www.cambridgelabour.org.uk/2014manifesto Any questions? If you have any questions or if you want printed copies of any of our three documents, please email labour@cambridgelabour.org.uk. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 3 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Introduction Dear Resident, You will see in this manifesto that, despite a 40% Coalition cut in the city s core funding, your city council has protected essential services and is continuing to meet the city s ongoing challenges, including housing and transport. We will continue to guarantee your services for the future, working with our impressive staff team and partner councils to deliver quality services at reduced cost. We are investing 20,000,000 that, under the Liberal Democrats, had been sitting idle in council reserves so it delivers a big financial dividends, growing to 1,000,000 a year. This should help to protect services and build housing for private sector tenants. We are building more council houses in Cambridge and working in partnership with South Cambridgeshire to tackle the city s housing crisis. Joint implementation of our two Local Plans is providing 33,000 extra homes. We are continuing to improve council housing. We are also tackling empty homes and making improvements for people in Cambridge s growing private rented sector. Through our Anti-Poverty Strategy, we are sharing the city s prosperity more fairly by directing extra resources to those who need council help the most. Our citywide Living Wage Campaign aims to ensure all local employees are paid a fair wage so they can afford housing and other bills. On transport, we will make radical changes in 2015 and 2016 through the City Deal partnership. This will tackle the worsening rush hour gridlock in central Cambridge. We will work to create reliable, expanded and better used bus services and invest in more safe cycling routes. We will improve the main routes into Cambridge both for those who use them and those who live near them. Since we took control of the council last May, Labour s new broom approach has resulted in major changes to the council s delivery across Cambridge. We have improved street cleaning and added hundreds of new litter bins across the city. And whoever is elected to run Britain after the general election, we will ensure that London listens to the needs of our growing city and passes more powers to Cambridge to enable the council to deliver greater prosperity and to share it fairly. We ask for residents support again in the city council elections on 7 May 2015 so we can work with you to make our unique city an even better place for all our residents. Councillor Lewis Herbert Leader of Cambridge City Council Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 4 Labour s Manifesto 2015
1. Delivering sustainable prosperity for Cambridge and sharing it fairly A Labour council will: Work with businesses, the universities, Addenbrooke s, the LEP and City Deal partners to deliver and manage sustainable prosperity that maximises the benefits for Cambridge, its residents and businesses. We will support the new Cambridge Promotion Agency, working alongside other business organisations to achieve our goals and address the challenges that accompany growth, particularly the need to improve transport and deliver more affordable housing, especially for rent. Work with councils and business networks to anticipate future significant company moves/expansions in Cambridge, and prepare detailed plans by the partners to successfully manage this growth. Continue to share the city s prosperity so we target any additional resources generated to people who most need the council s help. Tackle poverty and social exclusion by implementing the council s new Anti- Poverty Strategy, in line with agreed timescales and working with voluntary organisations in the city. Ensure the Cambridgeshire Local Assistance Scheme, council-funded Council Tax relief and housing assistance funding reach the people who most need help. Promote Living Wage accreditation to all local employers and, because everyone needs a decent income to cover the cost of living and high local housing costs, work with employers to increase, year on year, the number of Cambridge workers paid at least the Living Wage. Respond to future government plans for welfare reform and universal credit, and seek to ensure that those with the greatest need in our community are protected. Continue projects to assist low income families suffering water and fuel poverty. Develop a scheme to help those who need debt and other financial advice. Increase access to affordable loans, accounts and financial products where needed. Develop new sports initiatives, offering greater opportunities to residents in most need of support to live healthy, active lives. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 5 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Increase opportunities for people on low incomes to use community, leisure and arts facilities, and to attend events in the city. Fund free swimming lessons for children from low income families, and other children who cannot swim by the time they leave primary school. Continue to provide 900,000 per year to community groups, focusing on groups that help the most deprived, such as Cambridge Citizen s Advice Bureau (CAB), the Women s Aid Refuge and other high quality advice and support services across the city. Provide additional assistance to groups such as credit unions, the Cambridge Foodbank and Cambridge Reuse, assisting them to reach people who most need help. Work with a GP surgery and Cambridge CAB on a pilot scheme offering local advice services in a disadvantaged part of Cambridge. We will also talk to other surgeries, churches and voluntary organisations about similar partnerships in other parts of the city where such services are needed. Continue to expand city council apprenticeships and work with other employers to achieve our target of 420 extra apprenticeships under the City Deal by 2020. Work with City Deal partners to establish a new Skills Service Partnership in order to generate new business links with schools and colleges. Review the council s community centre provision to ensure future sustainability and to make sure that these centres effectively involve the local communities they serve. Direct future developer funding for community centres to where it will achieve greatest benefit, both for existing residents and for those moving into new developments. Continue to work in partnership with the voluntary and not-for-profit sector to provide a community gardening service for those who need support. We aim to eventually make this service financially self-sufficient. Use all opportunities to tackle fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency. This will include the Green Deal, if it is continued after the general election. Assist Connecting Cambridgeshire to further extend free Wifi in the city centre and in disadvantaged parts of the city, and provide free computer training for people on low incomes. We will also work with Cambridge University and others in order to extend super-fast broadband and mobile reception to parts of the city which currently have inadequate provision. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 6 Labour s Manifesto 2015
2. Tackling the city s housing crisis A Labour Council will: Continue to invest in building high quality energy efficient council homes. This year we invested 10,000,000 in new council developments, which provided 52 homes in Queen Edith s, Abbey, Cherry Hinton and King s Hedges wards. Develop and embed our Cambridge Social Rent Programme. This ensures that new housing stock is let at genuinely realistic rents and that existing stock is not converted to the coalition government s higher, so-called Affordable Rents. Undertake a comprehensive review of the Housing Revenue Account to achieve the best deal for our existing tenants. Invest in improvements to existing council homes and estates and build new council homes for future tenants. Develop a Community Charter to promote real partnership between local residents and the city council. Existing communities should have a strong voice when any city council site is redeveloped and should benefit from any redevelopment. Ensure no City Homes tenant is ever evicted solely because of the bedroom tax, and seek the repeal of this tax by the new government. Use reserves left lying dormant by the Liberal Democrats to generate revenue that will protect vital council services and allow us to invest in new homes at realistic rents for those with low priority for social rent homes. Continue to improve protection for private sector tenants, cracking down on rogue landlords who rent out unsafe properties and implementing a comprehensive Cambridge Landlord Accreditation and Safety Scheme. We are also exploring the feasibility of a Social Letting Agency. Tackle the problem of empty homes in the city. Maintain and defend our policy that all new developments must include 40% affordable housing. Seek the repeal of all coalition government measures which let developers off their affordable housing obligations. Work with South Cambridgeshire to jointly implement our two Local Plans. Provided the plans are approved by the Planning Inspector, this should provide 33,000 additional homes across the Greater Cambridge area. We also aim to develop a single joint Local Plan to cover the shared consequences of growth in our two areas. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 7 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Set up partnerships to build more affordable homes in Cambridge through the City Deal. We will create a joint Housing Delivery Agency with South Cambridgeshire and the county council to build an extra 1000 new homes on public sector owned land in the city and South Cambridgeshire by 2020. These will be over and above those mentioned in our individual Local Plans. Working with the county council and NHS services, support vulnerable people so that they can sustain independent lifestyles in their own homes and their local communities, and work to meet the needs of an ageing Cambridge population. A Labour council will continue to invest in building high quality, energy efficient council homes. This year we invested 10,000,000 in new council developments, which provided 52 homes in Queen Edith s, Abbey, Cherry Hinton and King s Hedges wards. A Labour council will continue to share the city s prosperity across Cambridge and target additional resources generated to people who need the council s help the most. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 8 Labour s Manifesto 2015
3. Making Cambridge safer and more equal A Labour Council will: Work in close partnership with the city police, helping them to tackle citywide and Area Committee priorities. Implement the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Petersfield Green, Ditchburn Place and Mill Road Cemetery to end the decade-old problem of anti-social behaviour by intoxicated groups who intimidate residents. Make the reduction of domestic violence a priority, working to obtain confirmation of the council s White Ribbon Status. Influence countywide policing priorities and resource allocation to ensure that Cambridge projects are supported. Work to increase the impact and value achieved from the council s 350,000 community safety budget. This will target alcohol related violence and antisocial behaviour and will link city council funding for restorative justice to countywide initiatives. Respond to County Council plans to cut overnight street lighting and seek continued provision that meets community expectations and ensures that lighting needed for public safety continues. Continue also work of last year to identify parts of city centre needing improved lighting. Continue to tackle discrimination in Cambridge and work with others to ensure our city stays welcoming and tolerant. Work with all local organisations and religious groups committed to tackling inequality. A Labour council will continue to tackle discrimination in Cambridge and work with others to ensure our city stays welcoming and tolerant. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 9 Labour s Manifesto 2015
4. Investing in transport improvements A Labour Council will: Invest 100,000,000 by 2020, via the City Deal partnership, to tackle the city s transport and congestion problems, aiming to switch more journeys from cars to buses, bikes and other options and thus reduce the frequency of city centre gridlock. This will also reduce the air pollution caused by nearstationary traffic and increase bus service reliability. Develop interlinked improvement plans for traffic in the city centre and on the inner ring road; on Histon Road, Milton Road and the new Cambridge North station; on the A428 and Madingley Road; and on the A1307, Babraham Road and Hills Road. Increase investment in on-road cycling and designated cycle routes, using the City Deal to fund the Chisholm Trail and the creation of a new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the River Cam, and press for further investment in cycling from other sources. Develop rail transport initiatives in addition to the City Deal. This includes seeking government support for extra station capacity, such as a new station at Addenbrooke s. Campaign for extra investment in the rail lines to Newmarket and Ipswich, links to Soham and Wisbech and the reopening of the East West rail line linking Cambridge to Oxford. This would open up opportunities for new sustainable housing developments along these routes. Complete the implementation of 20mph speed limits in residential areas across Cambridge, with continued public involvement and education. Seek an end to extra charges at Park and Ride sites and work with the county council to provide alternatives to on-street parking, where it contributes to congestion or road safety problems. This will require joint action by the city and county councils. Represent Cambridge s interests at the public inquiry into the Highways Agency s detailed plans for the A14 and prepare for any mitigation needed after this construction work. These measures will be integrated with wider City Deal investments. Limit the number of licensed taxis to deal with oversupply and resulting problems such as over-ranking in the city centre. Work with the police to stop vans and other vehicles blocking bus routes and cycle lanes, and reduce on-street parking, where it adds to congestion or road safety problems. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 10 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Act to reduce congestion at key bottlenecks and increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians, for example through yellow box junctions. Plan for the redevelopment of Park Street car park. Increase the number of cycle parking spaces available in the centre of Cambridge. A Labour council will press for further transport investments in addition to the City Deal, including seeking funding for additional rail and cycling investments. A Labour council will implement our City Centre Access Review to make the centre more accessible for all, including older people, the disabled and families with children. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 11 Labour s Manifesto 2015
5. Improving the quality of life in our city A Labour Council will: Continue to make improvements to play areas and public spaces while respecting their character. Implement our City Centre Access Review to make the centre more accessible for all, including older people, the disabled and families with children. In early 2016, run a repeat of the successful 2015 Community Fair, celebrating the diversity of local community groups. We will assist these groups to gain volunteers and other offers of support. Establish community facilities in new development areas in South Cambridge and North West Cambridge. Add community development and sports initiatives in North West Cambridge. Produce a new tree strategy for public areas and policies for the successful management of the city s tree stock. Promote financial education and saving for young people through implementation of a new Junior Savers project in local schools. Review the council s river moorings policy, including services and associated fees. Invest resources in local environmental improvements and develop a medium term programme to include improvements to local shopping centres. Work closely with local retailers and businesses, employing council staff where they can make most difference. An example is our Chesterton Coordinator, who works with independent traders in West and East Chesterton. Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII at the Big Weekend and other summer events. We will work on this with South Cambridgeshire and will involve those who served Britain in wartime and their families. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 12 Labour s Manifesto 2015
6. Making Cambridge cleaner and greener A Labour Council will: Work with South Cambridgeshire to expand the range of recycling available for Cambridge residents and businesses, and increase the composting of commercial food waste. Run campaigns to encourage greater recycling by Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This will include blue bin recycling and a trial of food waste collection from a typical block of flats. Further increase the number of permanent litter and recycling bins, and increase emptying frequency for city centre parks in summer. Effectively engage all Area Committees to set a rolling programme of locally targeted public realm actions. This will include public education and enforcement. Pilot a civic pride campaign, engaging community groups and individual volunteers in looking after their local environment. This will include working with Friends Groups and Rivercare, and organising community litter picks. Set up a partnership project to tackle the issue of abandoned bikes and bike locks by raising community awareness, especially amongst students, and supporting the community to report abandoned items. Maximise the recycling/re-use of abandoned bikes and locks. Expand initiatives to tackle dog fouling and unruly or stray dogs. These initiatives will include more educational visits and patrols and new bin stickers designed by local schoolchildren. Continue our ward blitzes and community clear-out days, and increase enforcement against fly tipping, littering and related environmental crimes. Work to reduce air pollution in the city centre and near major roads, implementing the council s 2015 Air Quality Action Plan. Develop a plan to increase numbers of low emission taxis and work, through the Bus Quality Partnership, to increase numbers of low emission buses. With the county council, submit a bid to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to support the introduction of hybrid and electric vehicles into the bus and taxi fleets in Cambridge. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 13 Labour s Manifesto 2015
7. Protecting essential services and transforming delivery by the council A Labour Council will: Implement plans for at least 6,000,000 annual savings in the council s overall budget by 2020. We achieved 50% of this target during our first year in office as a result of stringent financial reviews. Reinvest 20,000,000 that the Liberal Democrats had previously left sitting in near-nil interest bank accounts. This will be invested in commercial property and in building new housing for rent. The income thus generated will amount to around 1,000,000 per year, which will be used to protect essential council services into the future. Achieve economies of scale by investing in efficient shared services with South Cambridgeshire and other councils. Shared services will include waste collection and recycling, legal and computing services, CCTV, building control and planning, and some financial services. Undertake wider reviews across the council to make us more efficient and entrepreneurial, using new technology to improve services to our customers, Cambridge residents and businesses. Work with representatives of local tourism businesses to create a Destination Management Organisation to improve tourism management and leadership. Ensure that, as a good employer, we support our staff through a major programme of change. This will include improving staff input and the level of support provided by trades unions. Continue to implement Living Wage Accreditation policies for contractors. For example, we will develop and agree a plan with contractor GLL to pay the National Living Wage within the Leisure Management contract. Support the implementation of the new Cultural Trust, Cambridge Live, which will protect the future and identity of the Cambridge Folk Festival, Corn Exchange and the city s year-round programme of events. Develop a Young People s Engagement Project to give young people more say about their city and local service priorities. Press the new government to devolve more powers to Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council. Work on this with other councils and businesses, voluntary sector and university partners as we, not Whitehall, are best placed to manage Cambridge s growth and to successfully address the associated challenges. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 14 Labour s Manifesto 2015
Continue to argue the case locally and nationally for one Cambridge Area Council, responsible for all local services and decisions, and for effective partnerships and funding to secure the city s future. A Labour council will undertake wider reviews across the council to make us more efficient and entrepreneurial, using new technology to improve services to our customers, Cambridge residents and businesses. A Labour council will continue our ward blitzes and community clear-out days, and increase enforcement against fly tipping, littering and related environmental crimes. Building a Fairer Cambridge Together 15 Labour s Manifesto 2015
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